The Japanese Government recently signed a K21.4 billion grant agreement with the Malawi Government for the upgrading of roads in Lilongwe, namely a 2.7 km M1 stretch between Lilongwe Hotel and Lilongwe CCAP from the current two lanes to four lanes.

The agreement was signed by Japanese Ambassador, Satoshi Iwakili, and Finance Minister, Felix Mlusu as Iwakili expressed that Japan appreciates the Malawi Government and Lilongwe City Council’s effort to facilitate the project. The development follows after infrastructure in the country has been outdated or below standards, especially the roads. Last year, a Malawi delegation in Washington DC, at the 2019 joint annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) met Opec Fund for International Development (Ofid) officials to discuss and negotiate a number of issues, one of them being funding for roads. The delegation, led by then Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Joseph Mwanamvekha took advantage of the meeting held at World Bank Headquarters to request Ofid to consider co-financing Mangochi-Makanjira and Mswang’oma-Nambazo- Nasiyaya road projects.

Grateful towards Japan, the Minister of Transport, Mohammed Sidik Mia outlined that within 18 months, Malawians will be driving on modern roads to avoid congestion in the city.